This must be the easiest and cheapest of fish soups but that does not make it any less delicious! Particularly good after a walk out in the cold. And no it’s not made from “skinks” for all the Aussies out there who may be confused … it’s a classic Scottish soup made from smoked fish!
Wine Suggestion: We would highly recommend pairing this with a peaty whisky like Lagavulin. If this doesn’t rock your boat, or you don’t have a bottle to hand then a dry, aromatic and elegant white, like the Sybille Kuntz Riesling Kabinett makes the whole meal feel refined and very sophisticated too.
Cullen skink – serves 4
50g buttter
1 onion, finely chopped
1.2 litres full fat milk
750g floury potatoes
450g smoked haddock fillet
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook gently for 7-8 minutes.
Add the milk and bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft.
Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until cooked and easy to flake. Gently remove the haddock with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave until cook enough to handle.
Meanwhile, use your wooden spoon to squash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.
When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into chunky flakes, discarding any skin and bones. Tip the fish into the soup, then add the parsley. Serve in warm soup bowls with a little more parsley.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Supper, BBC Books, 2023.)
We can’t get enough of roasted cauliflower and it’s at it’s best in this recipe with caramelised onions and smothered in tahini dressing.
Wine Suggestion: We’re mad for Loire Cabernet Franc and found a new vigneron on our last trip to Saumur: Domaine Théo Blet. We picked up his Saumur Rouge “les Fabureaux” and were completely charmed. Plus it went delightfully with this dish, complementing the spices and earthy tahini.
Cauliflower ‘shawarma’ – serves 2 as a main or more as a side or starter
1 medium cauliflower, leaves attached
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp baharat spice mix
1 tsp sea salt
FOR THE CARAMELISED ONIONS:
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING:
1 lemon
125g tahini paste
a pinch of salt
100-130ml water
FOR THE GARNISH:
2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
1 tsp sumac
pittas or crispy pitta shards, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas mark 6.
Put the whole cauliflower, including the leaves, into an ovenproof saucepan that it fits in snugly. Fill the pan with enough water to just cover the stem and leaves. Drizzle the oil all over the florets and sprinkle with the baharat spice mix and sea salt – it will seem like a lot but go with it. Put the pan into the oven and roast for 1-1½ hours. It is ready when you can easily insert a small knife right down the stem.
Meanwhile, put the onions in a frying pan with the oil and salt and fry over a low heat until soft and golden. Add the sugar and cook until the onions are caramelised and brown, then remove from the heat.
Mix the tahini paste in a small bowl with the juice of half the lemon and the salt. Add 100ml water and mix well. Keep stirring and gradually adding water until the paste has a loose creamy texture.
Lift the cooked cauliflower out of the water and cut into thick slices, including the stems and leaves. Divide between plates, then squeeze over the other half of the lemon and top with the caramelised onions and tahini paste. Garnish with pine nuts and sumac and serve with warm pittas or crispy flatbread.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. Food from the Middle East by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
We initially made this on the first day of Spring, just as the wild garlic arrived and we had a big dump of snow … Irish weather! The wild garlic has lasted quite a while this year which has meant this has been easily reprised, and enjoyed.
Wine Suggestion: we think that wines that work well with asparagus also do great with wild garlic, so opted for Höpler’s Grüner Veltliner from Burgenland, Austria. With a fresh, zippiness and citrus twist it was charming and helped us to imagine sunny weather just around the corner.
Wild garlic, broad bean & leek risotto – serves 4
300g frozen broad beans, defrosted
60g buter
1 leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced
300g Arborio rice
100ml white wine
1-1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
a handful of wild garlic, chopped
60g Parmesan, grated
Blanch the beans in boiling water for a minute, then drain and pop them out of their skins.
Melt half the butter in a large pan and sweat the leek for 3-4 minutes or until soft, then stir in the rice. When the rice is glistening, add the white wine and allow to boil and bubble up.
Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next. Continue until you have only a few ladlefuls left, then stir in the broad beans and the rest of the stock.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the wild garlic, three-quarters of the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the rest of the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, BBC Books, 2023.)
We were not disappointed with this on a Saturday night but it is so simple you could easily manage it on a weeknight. Serve with yoghurt, lime pickle and naan bread from the takeaway.
Wine Suggestion: Chenin Blanc for the depth of fruit and roundness on the palate, but a minerally backbone of acidity. It lifts this dish and adds and extra element. Tonight Domaine des Aubuisieres le Marigny; dry and expressive but with layers of yellow and red apples on top.
Paneer Jalfrezi – serves 3
200g block of paneer, cut into 2cm cubes
2 red peppers, cut into strips
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
300g baby potatoes, halved or quartered
5cm piece of ginger
2 cloves of garlic, grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp salt
a handful of coriander, roughly chopped, to serve
yoghurt, lime pickle and naan bread, to serve
Heat the oven to 200C.
Put all of the ingredients into a large roasting tin, then put some disposable gloves on and gently toss everything together.
Put the tin into the hot oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the paneer is well browned.
Serve sprinkled with the coriander.
(Original reicpe from The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson, 4th Estate, 2023.)
This is almost like a biryani but with gentle Iranian spices and it makes a great centre piece. You can serve with yoghurt if you like and we missed a side of greens or salad.
Wine Suggestion: This suits a rich and broad white like Domaine Manciat-Poncet’s Pouilly-Vinzelles. With a lovely mix of stonefruit flavours and grapefruit this has a zip as well as the breadth that compliments the prawns as opposed to fighting or overwhelming them.
Spicy prawn rice – serves 6
500g basmati rice
6 fat cloves of garlic
7cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp ground fenugreek leaves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
600g large peeled prawns
60g butter
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a big handful of crumbled sea salt. Boil the rice for 6-8 minutes or until the grains are bright white and slightly elongated. They should be just starting to soften.
Drain the rice and rinse under cold water for a couple of minutes, until cool.
Line the bottom of the rice pot with some nonstick baking paper and set aside.
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat. Drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil (or vegetable oil) and fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the grated ginger, ground ginger, cumin, fenugreek and chilli flakes, and stir. Add the prawns and cook for under a minute, or until just starting to turn pink, then remove the pan from the heat and season generously with salt and pepper.
Put the paper-lined pot back over the heat and pour in a generous drizzle of olive oil and the butter. Sprinkle in some sea salt, then scatter in enough rice to cover the base of the pan.
Layer the prawn mixture and rice into the pan, finishing with a thin layer of rice. Use the long handle of a wooden spoon to poke about 5 holes into the rice, right down to the base of the pan.
Wrap the lid of the pan in a tea towel, then cover the pan and cook over the lowest temperature for about 40 mintues.
Check the rice is cooked, then remove it from the pan. If you’re brave you can place a platter over the pan and flip the rice out onto it. Scrape out any crispy tahdig (the crispy rice on the base) from the bottom of the pan and serve on top of the rice.
(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchelle Beazley, 2014.)
We don’t subscribe to much on Substack but we make an exception for Debora Robertson. Debora writes about life in France and recommends a dinner party dish with an easy starter (usually shop-bought) every week. We’re always happy to see her next post and we highly recommend her recipe for pork estouffade – a French pork cassrole with honey and carrots. Minimal effort and great to share. Serve with mashed potatoes and cabbage.
Wine Suggestion: From Marjorie Gallet’s superlative Roc des Anges is her “Llum“, an insightful and crystalline Grenache Gris & Macabeu blend that sings with ripe stonefruit flavours and a minerally, salty backbone. Just perfect with a little richness and aromatic flavours from this dish.
Pork estouffade – serves 6
1.6-1.8kg boned and rolled joint of pork, with some fat on and skin/rind removed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
6 cloves of garlic, halved, remove any green bits and thinly sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp paprika
1 bottle white wine
a pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a splash of warm water
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
80g pitted green olives
1 unwaxed orange – you will need to peel a strip of zest and then juice
about 10g of parsley leaves and fine stalks, roughly chopped
Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season all over with salt and pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a large heavy casserole ove a medium-high heat. Brown the pork all over – about 10 minutes, then remove to a plate and lower the heat.
Add the onions, bay leaves and thyme and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent but without browning, about 15 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes, mustard, honey, and paprika and stir well. Pour in the wine, saffron and soaking water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Return the pork to the pan, along with any juices. Cover and simmer very gently for 2½ hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes. Add the carrot, olives, orange zest and juice. Taste and season if needed, then simmer very gently, uncovered, for another hour – check occasionally that the pork hasn’t stuck. The dish is ready when the pork is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the parsley. Remove the string form the pork and carve it into thick slices. Serve with some sauce, the carrots, mashed potatoes and cabbage.
(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson, Substack, 6 Jan 2024)
A recipe from Ixta Belfrage’s excellent book, Mezcla. Pinapple has developed a bad reputation in savoury dishes but we love it … including on pizzas sometimes. Serve some steamed white rice on the side.
Wine Suggestion: we’re having an Italian moment, so chose the La Pruina Salice Salentino to go with this dish. A blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Negra it had a suprising elegance and didn’t overwhelm the flavours despite an obvious juiciness to the fruit. Balanced and surprisingly medium bodied; we’ll be revisitng this wine again.
Chicken with pineapple and ‘nduja – serves 4
4 chicken thighs, at room temperature
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, halved and very thinly sliced, ideally with a mandoline if you have one
300g fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into rounds, then quartered and hard core removed
4 tangerines or 2 oranges, squeezed to give 100g of juice
100g chicken stock
2 tbsp double cream
5g coriander
1 lime, cut into wedges
FOR THE ‘NDUJA AND CHIPOTLE PASTE:
50g ‘nduja paste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tomato purée
½ tsp chipotle flakes
½ tsp paprika
¾ tsp fine salt
20 twists of black pepper
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
Put the ingredients for the ‘nduja and chipotle paste into a large bowl and mix together. Add the chicken thighs, garlic, and about ¾ of the onion and mix together well. Tip everything into a large oven-proof cast-iron frying pan or a baking dish. Make sure the chicken is skin-side up on top of the onions and garlic.
Add the pineapple to the mixing bowl and toss in any leftover paste, then arrange around the chicken.
Pour the orange juice around the chicken but make sure you don’t pour it over the chicken skin, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the chicken stock – again avoiding the chicken skin. Put back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy.
Rest the dish for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle over the cream. Toss the coriander with the rest of the sliced onion and a little oil and salt, then sprinkle over the top. Serve with lime wedges.
(Original recipe from Mezlca by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
Salmon is very popular in our house and we particulary like this recipe with a delicious barbery butter.
Wine Suggestion: we like dry Rosé with barberry dishes and chose the Quinta de la Rosa Rosé this time as it has great depth and poise alongside the refreshing red berried flavours.
Salmon with barberry butter – serves 4
olive oil
4 salmon fillets, skinned
FOR THE BARBERRY BUTTER:
75g softened butter
2 tbsp dried barberries, finely chopped
1 tsp pul biber
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp clear honey
Put the ingredients for the barberry butter into a bowl with plenty of salt and black pepper and mix well.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little olive oil. Season the salmon fillets on the skinned side, then put skinned-side down into the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn over and add the butter. When the butter has melted, start basting the salmon. You need to go quite quickly so the butter doesn’t burn. Keep basting for a couple of minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through.
Serve and spoon the butter over.
(Original recipe from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster*, 2023.)
We’ve cooked this easy Indian salmon a load of times now. The salmon is really soft and tender and the flavours are fab! Nice with potatoes and a green salad or with other Indian dishes.
Grilled masala salmon – serves 2
⅛ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
⅛ tsp ground coriander
⅛ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
340g skinned salmon fillet
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
Mix the salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper together, then rub all over the salmon fillet. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1-4 hours.
Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4, and heat the grill to it’s highest setting.
Mix the mustard, oil and lemon juice together and add the chopped coriander. Rub this all over the fish and place under the grill until the top has slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fish to the oven and bake for about 10 minute or until cooked through.
(Original recipe from Curry Easy by Madhur Jaffrey, Ebury Press, 2010.)
Paneer is the typical cheese for curry but halloumi works as well if this is what’s to hand. Plus this is the perfect weeknight dish as it’s so easy; we made it between two after-school activities! Serve with rice or naan bread.
Wine Suggestion: This dish works well with white wines with a degree of plushness; dry but not too crisp. Unusually, as we find most of them a little boring, we went with a Pinot Grigio. Perusini’s version though is from Collio and not the characterless Veneto versions found most commonly. Peach and tangerine flavours with a pleasant herbal spice and medium-full body, combined with good freshness and a minerally saline undercurrent.
Creamy halloumi curry – serves 2 to 3
225g halloumi, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
a thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
400g tin chopped tomatoes
100ml double cream
80g fresh or frozen spinach
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp nigella seeds
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin, coriander and turmeric and cook for a couple of minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce the heat and add the cream, then simmer gently for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat another tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the halloumi for a few minutes or until browned on all sides.
Add the browned halloumi to the curry sauce along with the spinach, sugar and garam masala and stir to combine. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the spinach and wilted or defrosted. Add a splash of water or extra cream if the sauce seems a bit thick, then serve with the nigella seeds sprinkled over.
We have fallen in love with this buttery cabbage dish which we served tonight alongside some salmon with barberries. This is seriously pimped up cabbage and would be delicious with anything! Both recipes are from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour.
Wine suggestion: we thought the tamarind would be a hard match, so opened a wine we didn’t know, the Lyrarakis Liatiko from Crete, and were delighted when this obscure wine was a total gem. A light, juicy cherry flavoured wine with wild berry and gentle herbs and a cedary spice. We’ll be looking out for this again.
Cabbage with tamarind, maple & black pepper butter – serves 2 to 4
olive oil
1 large head of sweetheart cabbage, quartered
100ml cold water
50g butter
1 heaped tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp coarse freshly ground black pepper
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat and add some olive oil. Arrange the cabbage wedges in the pan, sitting on one cut side and the stalk ends in the centre of the pan, and fry for 5 minutes. Pour in the cold water, then increase the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
Take the lid off the pan and turn the cabbage wedges onto the other side for 3-4 minutes, uncovered. Add the butter, then mix the tamarind, maple syrup and pepper together and add to the pan with a good seasoning of salt. Stir to melt the butter – making sure it doesn’t burn. Baste the cabbage with the butter, then turnover onto the other side and continue basting for a few more minutes. Serve with any butter left in the pan drizzled over.
(Original recipe from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster*, 2023.)
Mussels are our favourite Friday night treat and they taste amazing with this creamy leek and cider sauce. You will need a top quality baguette on the side.
Wine suggestion: we’re just loving Domaine de la Chauviniere’s Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur lie at the moment and think that Jeremie Huchet just has his vineyards in such balance that he delivers delicious wines year after year. Minerally, salty, fresh and with a rounded appley fruit that just works (or of course you could just buy some extra cider).
Mussels with leeks, bacon & cider – serves 2 to 3
200g smoked streaky bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
400g leeks, finely chopped
1kg mussels, cleaned
a large glass of dry cider
150ml double cream
a handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
baguette, to serve
Warm a little olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the bacon until the fat renders, then add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook gently for a few minutes. Add the leeks and season well with salt, then let the leeks cook until they are very soft and tender but not taking on any colour. Add a splash of water if they start to catch.
Turn the heat up and add the cider to the leeks to create plenty of steam. Add the mussels and cover with a lid. After two minutes, shake the pan well or give the mussels a toss with a spoon, then cook for another minute or two – they are ready as soon as all the shells are open (chuck any that don’t open).
Pour in the cream, add the parsley and season with lots of black pepper and a little more salt, though taste first. Give everything a final toss, then serve in big bowls with baguette and a glass of cold white wine or cider.
(Original recipe from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, Ebury Press, 2023.)
This is such a good side dish. We served it with roast lamb this time, but it would easily complement so many other dishes and can see us doing it alongside some grilled halloumi next time – highly recommended.
Sweet potatoes with tahini yoghurt & herb oil – serves 4 to 6
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm slices
4 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp ras el hanout
2 tbsp pine nuts
a good handful of pomegranate seeds
FOR THE HERB OIL:
15g flat leaf parsley
15g dill
15g coriander
juice of ½ lemon
3-4 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE TAHINI YOGHURT:
6 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt
4 tbsp tahini
Preheat the oven to 220C, Gas Mark 7 and line a large tray with baking paper.
Put the sweet potato slices onto the tray. Drizzzle over the olive oil, sprinkle with the ras el hanout and add plenty of salt, then use your hands to coat the sweet potatoes in the mixture. Spread out in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, make a herb oil by putting the herbs, lemon juice, olive oil (enough to allow the mixture to spin) and seasoning in a blender and whizz until smooth.
Mix the yoghurt with the tahini and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a platter and pour over the tahini yoghurt followed by the herb oil, then scatter over the pine nuts and pomegrante seeds.
(Original recipe from Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster*, 2023.)
Who doesnt love a chicken drumstick? These ones have a delicious Spanish inspired marinade. Serve with some alioli if you like.
Wine suggestion: when choosing wines to go with dishes we often start with the idea that the origin of the dish lends itself to similar wines, in this case Spain. So on this note we went for Edetària’s via Edetana Red which is a joyful and deep expression of Garnacha Fina and Garnatxa Peluda, two very closely related varieties of Grenache. It has both a purity and freshness alongside an earthiness and rounded, velvety spices; medium bodied so it didn’t overwhelm the chicken and worked alongside the marinade. An interesting aside, the very rare Garnatxa Peluda found only in Terra Alta is also called “Hairy Grenache” as the leaves are velvety.
BBQ Drumsticks – serves 4
8 chicken drumsticks
lemon wedges, to serve
For the marinade:
50ml olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
100ml fino sherry
salt
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and add plenty of salt.
Add the drumsticks and rub the marinade in with your hands. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 3 hours.
Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before you want to cook it. Brush the marinade off the chicken and reserve it for later.
Prep your barbecue to allow for indirect and direct cooking. Put the chicken pieces over the indirect heat to start and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, turning regularly.
Move the chicken onto the direct heat and cook for another 15-20 minutes until cooked through and nicely charred. Baste often with the reserved marinade.
Serve with the lemon wedges and some alioli if you like.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)
A tasty side dish to get us out our potato rut of baby roast or dauphinoise. These went spectacularly well with roast chicken.
Patatas a lo pobre – serves 4
600g waxy potatoes e.g. Charlottes
1 bulb of fennel, cut into quarters lengthways and shred into 5mm slices
75ml olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
a few sprigs of fresh oregano
Slice the potatoes into 5mm rounds.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan and add the potatoes and fennel. Cook over a medium heat until the potatoes are tender and starting to brown about 10-15 minutes. Keep tossing gently so it all cooks evenly.
When the potatoes are almost ready, add the garlic and sherry vinegar. Keep cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes are completely soft. Stir in the capers and oregano leaves and season with salt and pepper.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikerrs Mediterranean Adventure, Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)
Jeez this sauce is good. A stunning recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage. There are a good few steps in the recipe, but prep everything first and you will be fine.
Wine Suggestion: Don’t push the boat out for a wine match as the gutsy flavours just need an easy, well made, rounded Chardonnay. Go anymore complex and the subtlety will be lost. For us tonight Domaine Gayda’s Sphere Chardonnay which see’s wonderful sunshine in the Languedoc, but maintains it’s freshness as the vineyards are on the foothills of the Pyrenees and juducious and light use of oak barrels to bring it together.
Duck with pepper sauce and green salsa – serves 2
2 skin-on duck breasts
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
FOR THE MARINADE:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1¼ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp maple syrup
⅛ tsp fine salt
FOR THE SALSA:
2 scallions, very finely chopped
5g chives, very finely chopped
5g fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
½ jalapeño, very finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
⅛ tsp fine salt
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, very finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, very finely chopped
⅛ tsp fine salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp green peppercorns, roughly crushed (the pickled green peppercorns are best for this)
½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
1¼ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp water
130g cream
Get a dish that will fit both duck breasts in a single layer. Mix the marinade ingredients together, then arrange the duck in the marinade, skin side up – try your best not to get any marinade on the skin. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours at room temperature, or ideally, overnight in the fridge. Don’t cover the container either way, as you want the skin to dry out. Bring to room temperature for 2 hours before cooking.
Prep the salsa by mixing all the ingredients together, then set aside.
Take the duck out of the marinade and transfer to a tray lined with a clean cloth, flesh side down, so the flesh dries out. Blot the skin with kitchen paper to make sure it’s as dry as possible. Rub some salt and pepper into the skin. Reserve the marinade.
Put the duck breasts into a cold, non-stick frying pan, skin-side down and spaced apart. Put the pan over a low heat and gently fry, pressing down on the duck, for about 10 minutes or until the skin is crisp and deep brown (keep going longer to achieve this if you need). Spoon away the duck fat that renders in the pan (keep for roasties another day). Transfer the duck breasts to a plate, skin side up, then increase the pan heat to high.
When the pan is very hot, return the breasts to the pan, flesh side down. Move breasts around for about 3 minutes to get them coloured evenly. Transfer the duck to a plate and rest, uncovered, for a full 12 minutes.
Either wash out the pan and allow it to cool or start with another non-stick frying pan. Add the butter, oil, shallots, garlic and salt to the cold frying-pan. Put over a medium-low heat and fry gently for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and golden. Add the black pepper, pepercorns, chipotle chilli flakes, and cumin and cook for another minute.
Pour the reserved marinade and the 2 tbsp water into the pan, turn the heat to hight and allow to bubble for 1½ minutes. Turn the heat down low and stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute to warm through.
Pour the sauce onto a plattter, then slice the duck and arrange it on top. Finish with the green salsa and serve with the lime wedges.
(Original recipe from Mexcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)
We love dhal and this cheat’s version is delicious! It’s similar to a dhal makhani but a fraction of the effort to make. We will never be without 2 tins of lentils again! Serve with rice or naan of course.
Wine Suggestion: a regular grenache, Domaine Ventenac’s “les Dissidents” Paria because it has an effortless freshness and gentle plummy, warm spices of a juicy core of red fruit.
Cheat’s Dhal – serves 4 to 6
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tins green lentils, drained
50g butter
150ml double cream
300ml boiling water
Heat a large heavy saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and the onion and stir-fry until softened and starting to brown at the edges.
Stir in the spices until the onions are coated, then add the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the lentils, then the butter and stir until melted. Pour in the cream and season generously, then pour in the water and stir again.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy. Season to taste and serve.
(Original recipe from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
It’s the classic roast chicken but this time with fresh and preserved lemon. Yummy!
Wine Suggestion: We have a bit of a thing for dry Loire Chenin Blanc and were fortunate to visit Jacky Blot from Domaine de la Taille aux Loups earlier this year. Although he passed away not long after our visit, being able to taste the results of his work in a glass really keeps his memory alive. We opened a bottle of his Vin de France “Clos de la Bretonniere” with this dinner and were transported back to the tasting room and the couple of hours we spent with Jacky. A vibrantly dry Vouvray with tension and tautness in abundance and layers of minerally fruit, it paired beautifully with the roast chicken. Salut Jacky!
Roast chicken with preserved lemon – serves 4
70g butter, softened
3 tbsp thyme leaves
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small preserved lemon, pips discarded and flesh and skin roughly chopped
1 lemon, zest finely grated, plus 1½ tbsp of juice
1 whole chicken
Heat the oven to 190C fan.
Put the butter, thyme, garlic, preserved lemon, lemon zest, ¼ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper in a food proessor and blitz to combine.
Loosen the chicken skin over the breasts (careful not to tear it) and spread most of the butter mixture underneath. Spread the rest over the legs.
Put the chicken into a roasting tin and drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle over ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes per 500g plus an extra 10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear. Baste every 20 minutes as it cooks.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, 2018.)
This is very much a weeknight dish but it’s suprisingly good. Baking in a bag means very few dishes to wash which always helps. Serve with a green salad.
Wine Suggestion: try to find a good Vermentino with a medium body, not the richer ones with higher alcohol like you sometimes find from Sardinia and similar. A favoured one at the moment is Domaine Ventenac’s “les Dissidents” Cassandre from Cabardes in southern France.
Baked salmon with harissa and chickpeas – serves 2
1 unwaxed lemon
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp clear honey
3 tsp harissa paste
150g roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced
15g coriander, roughly chopped
2 salmon fillets, skinned
1 tsp olive oil
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
Tear off 2 large sheets of baking paper.
Halve the lemon and cut one half into thin slices.
Toss the drained chickpeas with the smoked paprika, honey, 1 tsp of the harissa paste, the peppers, most of the coriander and seasoning, then divide this between the two sheets of paper.
Season the salmon and spread each piece with 1 tsp of harissa, then place on top of the chickpeas and drizzle with the olive oil. Place the lemon slices on top, then fold over the edges to seal the parcels.
Put the parcels onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. Open the parcels and scatter over the rest of the coriander, then serve with some salad on the side.
(Original recipe by Tom Mitchell-Dawson in Sainsbury’s Magazine, September 2023.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 